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...Much as I admire a clean surface, I have never been a minimalist. But arriving at middle age on the brink of my very own economic meltdown, I’m having to question my relationship to things, asking: why are they so important? What do they signify? Could I live without them, or make do with a cyber version – a clutch of Pinterest boards and a library of ebooks?

In many strains of spiritual thinking, accumulating possessions (i.e.: being materialistic) is a bad thing.

My question for you is "is it?" Is there something inherently wrong with accumulating stuff, or is accumulating stuff part of what defines you as a person? Or maybe there is another option?

Those who have suffered understand suffering and therefore extend their hand.

Re: To have, or to have not?

I can agree with the possessions idea,and some times those possessions possess you. I tend to only have things that are useful,that have a purpose,like tools. While I am not a minimalist,I am also not a hoarder of things just to have them.

MAGIC is MAGIC,black OR white or even blood RED

all i ever wanted was a normal life and love.
NO TERF EVER WE belong Too.
don't stop the tears.let them flood your soul.

Re: To have, or to have not?

I moved recently. My uncle, who has a pickup truck, came to help me. He asked me if I'd ever heard of a Kindle while we were loading up books

I really liked that article; I put up with a lot of teasing from family members about being a hoarder due mostly to my book collection, but whenever I've moved to smaller places and have had to store them with my parents, I constantly find myself missing them.

Originally Posted by B. de Corbin

In many strains of spiritual thinking, accumulating possessions (i.e.: being materialistic) is a bad thing.

My question for you is "is it?" Is there something inherently wrong with accumulating stuff, or is accumulating stuff part of what defines you as a person? Or maybe there is another option?

I don't view owning possessions as a 'bad thing'. I like my things and they make me happy. They don't interfere with my connection to deity in anyway that I have noticed, and in fact, help facilitate that connection at times. I like digital things too; most of my photos are only in digital format and I actually do have a fairly sizable collection of digital books as well, but my personal preference is for real world objects. Eventually, I do want to have all my photos printed for photo albums and I want to buy all my faveorite digital books so I can add them to my real world book shelves as well.

I haven't found another option that makes me as happy as having all my 'objects' does.

In many strains of spiritual thinking, accumulating possessions (i.e.: being materialistic) is a bad thing.

My question for you is "is it?" Is there something inherently wrong with accumulating stuff, or is accumulating stuff part of what defines you as a person? Or maybe there is another option?

I'm fond of possesions...

As long as they are possessions and not possessors. I have thousands of MtG trading cards, I'll probably acquire more in years to come. If a day comes where the acquisition and care of said cards is seriously complicating my life then I've granted cards too much power over me and it's time to start selling them. Any object that is not food, water or shelter which moves from enhancing your life to controlling it is a problem that should be addressed. Otherwise, there are lots of cool things in the world. Have fun.

"It is not simply enough to know the light…a Jedi must feel the tension between the two sides of the Force…in himself and in the universe."
―Thon

"When to the Force you truly give yourself, all you do expresses the truth of who you are,"

Yoda

Yoda told stories, and ate, and cried, and laughed: and the Padawans saw that life itself was a lightsaber in his hands; even in the face of treachery and death and hopes gone cold, he burned like a candle in the darkness. Like a star shining in the black eternity of space.

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

"But those men who know anything at all about the Light also know that there is a fierceness to its power, like the bare sword of the law, or the white burning of the sun." Suddenly his voice sounded to Will very strong, and very Welsh. "At the very heart, that is. Other things, like humanity, and mercy, and charity, that most good men hold more precious than all else, they do not come first for the Light. Oh, sometimes they are there; often, indeed. But in the very long run the concern of you people is with the absolute good, ahead of all else..."

John Rowlands, The Grey King by Susan Cooper

"You come from the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve", said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth; be content."

Re: To have, or to have not?

I guess it depends. We have a lot of stuff, but neither me nor my fiance are huge on conspicuous consumption. We don't buy a lot of stuff, but we've managed to collect a lot of things over the years (mostly due to the fact that both of us have a LOT of hobbies).

I don't think there's anything wrong with having or acquiring possessions, as long as you actually need and use them.

Re: To have, or to have not?

I think Anunitu put his finger on it when he pointed out the difference between having possesions, and being possesed by them.

If it's something you need, or use, or enjoy, why would there be a problem? But if you get stuff just to have stuff, or because you are told to want stuff, or becouse somebody down the road has that stuff, you have been possessed.

Last edited by B. de Corbin; 03 Aug 2016 at 09:28.

Those who have suffered understand suffering and therefore extend their hand.

Re: To have, or to have not?

I absolutely love my lifetime's worth of stuff. I look at my 45's and remember playing one (Anticipation, by Carly Simon) while getting ready for my first date in 1972. I'm not what you'd call a hoarder. My home is neat and organized. I do have lots of knick knacks and every one has a story. They were gifts from my parents or old bf's, my teddy bear from a great aunt when I was 5, a trunk full of yearbooks and diaries (paper books we wrote in before computers), recipes hand-written by my grandmother, etc.

I don't buy stuff because a certain color is in style, or because I got tired of older stuff. I like what I like, and that's that. I take good care of things and don't like change in the house much. Even my companion animal is 27 years old! LOL

Re: To have, or to have not?

My clothes are second hand, my furniture is too. We eat frugally, don't have holidays, don't own a car... BUT I own thousands of books, and yes, Mr P and I are hoarders. Everything we have reminds us of a time, or a day... and we don't mind clutter.
I don't ask anyone else to clean it, pay for it or live with it.